Emily Balser stories, Page 5

Tiffany Seitz was sure she’d never win Miss Pennsylvania. After all, the cards appeared to be stacked against her. She found out she’d be competing just six weeks before the competition when another contestant was forced to drop out because of a conflict with school. Having placed first runner-up in...

Route 28 will be reduced to a single lane in Springdale and Harmar townships early Wednesday morning. Crews will be conducting demolition work on the Hite Road Bridge, near exit 12, causing single-lane restrictions in both directions. The southbound lanes will be restricted to one lane from 3 a.m. to...

The Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute has opened a new oncology treatment center in Robinson. AHN Cancer Institute – Robinson replaces AHN’s previous clinic location on Church Hill Road in Robinson and expands the center’s patient care capacity and the number of on-site physicians and support staff. The nearly 6,000-square-foot...

The Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department is officially on patrol. Officers started the first shift for the newly formed department, which merged the Cheswick and Springdale Township departments, at 7 a.m. Monday. The department is headquartered in Springdale Township and has a substation in Cheswick. The merger took a year...

First responders responded to a two-vehicle crash involving two children Sunday afternoon. A Westmoreland 911 dispatcher said the crash happened around 2:40 p.m. in the 4000 block of Route 982 in Derry Township. The dispatcher said they received a call that the children were “shaken up,” but it’s unclear if...

Pennsylvania is among four states where fireworks have been recalled just ahead of the July 4 holiday. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced four fireworks-related recalls this week for fireworks that were “overloaded with pyrotechnics.” That can result in a greater than expected explosion, which poses explosion and burn...

There was a time, not so long ago, when the congregation of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church had all but disappeared. When the Rev. Frank Yesko arrived in 2011, he didn’t know if they’d end up closing their doors, but he knew he had to try. Now, the church has about...

The final budget and list of officers has been approved as the final steps for the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department to begin operating Monday. The Allegheny Valley Regional Police Commission unanimously approved the measures in a special meeting Thursday afternoon. Springdale Township and Cheswick held special meetings to approve...

Fisher Price recalled about 71,000 inclined sleeper accessories included with all models of the Fisher-Price Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yards. The company said in a statement it decided to recall the accessories after similar products had been linked to infant deaths. Fisher Price said there have been no reported...

The construction of Allegheny Health Network’s neighborhood hospital in Harmar is moving forward after being delayed for more than six months. AHN spokesman Daniel Laurent said construction is expected to start in July but couldn’t immediately provide a specific date. “We can’t wait to get started,” Laurent said. AHN officials...

Officials from Cheswick and Springdale Township are expected to vote Thursday on the final items needed for the new Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department to begin operating on Monday. Michael Girardi, vice president of the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Commission overseeing the department, said they will meet at 4:30 p.m....

The New Kensington Board of Health will meet next week to consider several dilapidated properties for demolition. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the start of the regular council meeting in the council chambers, 301 11th St. Dennis Scarpiniti, city clerk, said the following properties will...

The Allegheny Valley Volunteer Fire Department is considering selling a former substation along Freeport Road to Harmar. Harmar officials made an offer to buy the building in late January because they want to use it as headquarters for the township’s public works department. Chuck Miller, president of the fire department,...

There’s a different kind of bear walking the streets of Clairton. No, not the high school’s Clairton Bears that produced NFL wide receiver Tyler Boyd: We’re talking a real-life black bear. Clairton police said in a Facebook post that a black bear was seen in the area of State Route...

More than 40 classic cars were on display in Springdale on Sunday as part of the annual Springdale Volunteer Fire Department’s car cruise. The department has been holding the car cruise for four years in conjunction with its annual jubilee fundraiser, which kicks off Monday. Cheswick resident Bob Laczek had...

An overturned dump truck closed a portion of Crane Road near Brashear High School for about three hours on Sunday afternoon. Pittsburgh police responded to the crash just before 2 p.m. in the area of Crane Road off of Saw Mill Run Boulevard. When officers arrived they found the overturned...

A Grove City man was killed Saturday afternoon in a single-vehicle crash in Butler County. According to state police, Ian Campbell, 29, is suspected of driving at a high rate of speed on Route 108 when he lost control of his 2010 Jeep Wrangler and overturned near the intersection of...

Dozens of Pittsburgh residents of all faiths came together Sunday to support the congregation of Legacy International Worship Center in the North Side as they held their first Sunday service since police arrested a man accused of planning to blow up the church. The interfaith event was organized by the...

About 23,400 containers of baby formula sold exclusively at Walmart have been recalled because they could contain pieces of metal. Perrigo Company is issuing the recall of 35-ounce containers of Parent’s Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron because of the “potential presence of metal foreign matter.” Consumers should...

Springdale High School will start next school year with one fewer principal after the school board Monday accepted the resignation of Principal Michele Welter. Welter’s last day will be July 31. She has worked in the district for about five years. Superintendent Pat Graczyk said Welter is leaving for an...

Springdale borough officials and some residents are unhappy with the job Tresco Paving has done on James Street. As a result, Springdale Council voted 7-0 last week to withhold 10% of the payment to Tresco — about $10,200 — until borough officials can meet with the company to iron out...

Brendan Dawson first thought about becoming a priest as an altar boy in third grade. The idea would come up from time to time over his life, but he thought his future lay along another path. “I decided I was going to go to Pitt and study political science and...

Sylvan Pool manager Nancy Tarella said the Harrison pool typically attracts more than 200 people a day during the summer swim season. But this June has been anything but typical. Lately, Sylvan’s attendance hasn’t been breaking 30 people. “This is not a good pool season so far,” she said. “June...

Nearly 140 Alle-Kiski Valley kids are learning how to have fun while also giving back to their community this week at the annual Fun and Freedom summer camp in Springdale. The camp is run by the faith-based nonprofit Fun and Freedom, which holds several events for area children throughout the...

A nearly $9 million improvement project to the Lanpher Reservoir is complete after a year of repairs by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority. The project began last spring after the state Department of Environmental Protection issued an administrative order requiring PWSA to expedite three water system improvement projects, including...